ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. root — the cause
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. root — of a plant
  7. rock — a stone
  8. press — to push
  9. press — a publisher
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. root — of a word
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. cue — for pool
  14. stem — to come from
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. cue — a hint
  17. row — to paddle
  18. cue — a signal
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. rock — music
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. row — a line
  24. press — newspapers

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com